Love is blind
by Ailin-'O
Summary: Aoba never waves back in the street... he never takes off his glasses and never buttons his shirt correctly. hints a yaoi 2 alternatives rated K for the yaoi hints
1. Love is blind

Title : Love is blind

Fandom : Naruto

Pairing : Aoba/Kotetsu

Aoba's a strange guy. He's got a funny accent and wears sunglasses all the time. He never waves back in the street and never looks at people when talking to them. It's not that he's rude or anything like that. He's pretty polite in fact, most of the time. Most of the time, because he's Genma's best friend and…. well, you can't be entirely polite when spending so much time with the senbon-chewer.

Aoba was dead last in classes. Not because he wasn't intelligent, just because he was too lazy. However, he's always first when it comes to annoying Hagane Kotetsu.

To Kotetsu, Aoba is a pain in the ass. Always playing pranks on him with Genma, starting rumors on his expense. One day, he even got everyone in their office thinking Kotetsu was a transvestite.

And if looks could kill, then Aoba would be rotting in hell.

However, when it comes to serious matters, Aoba is a very caring and helpful guy. As Kotetsu found out when that strange illness struck him.

The village was a mess and no one seemed to care about that poor little Hagane orphan. Except for Aoba who showed up on his doorstep with a steaming bowl of ramen and a bag full of medicine he got from Tsunade-sama after long hours of pleading. The black-haired jounin spent a whole week off of duty, just so he could take care of Kotetsu while Izumo was sent on a mission. That's when Kotetsu really started to wonder about Aoba.

He asked him once why he never took his glasses off but Aoba simply shrugged it off with a shy little smile. The chuunin hadn't insisted.

Today though, as he sat on this chair by Aoba's bed, waiting for him to wake from his coma, Kotetsu felt as if there just were too many things he didn't know about the other nin. Why was he always so cold to Izumo, why did he always avoid talking about looks, why did he never wave back, why was he always picking on HIM of all people..

And he knew he would never get answers out of the Yamashirou heir. So he decided to ask Genma instead. But Genma just said those answers weren't his to give and walked out.

By the end of the second week, Kotetsu had had a lot of time to think and get frustrated by the obvious lack of logical answers. Aoba still hadn't regained consciousness and Genma refused to give him any indications. Plus, the medics seemed quite pessimistic.

Somewhere along the way, Kotetsu forgot that he was supposed to be annoyed with Aoba, forgot that he ought to be angry for all the pranks the other had played on him. He started to really worry about his jounin friend.

So when, after three weeks of coma, Aoba finally woke up, Kotetsu had forgotten all about his questions. Instead of asking him why he had used his body as a living shield to save Kotetsu's life, he simply hugged him tight.

And when he finally let go, Kotetsu saw Aoba's eyes for the first time. The brightest blue eyes he had ever seen, hidden behind long black lashes. But, they weren't fixed upon him like they should have been. They were glazed, lost into space.

"Genma-san, is that you ?"

And it all clicked together. The sunglasses, the glazed look, the fact that he never got his own team..

"Aoba-san.. you're.. you're blind ?"

"Tetsu-chan ?"

All those years spend in the same office and he had never realised. Kotetsu felt very stupid suddenly.

"I.."

It all made sense now. Almost…

"Why ?" Kotetsu asked "You never said anything.. You pick on me all the time, playing those stupid pranks on me.. why did you use your own body as a shield to protect me from those damned needles ?"

"'cause no matter how strong your feelings are for someone, sometimes, giving up your life for them is the only way to show them just.. how much you care."

And you don't realise just how much you need someone until you're about to lose them.

Nor do you realise just how much they love you until they choose to die for you.

Silence stretches between the two. Aoba closes his eyes with the certitude that Kotetsu is going to mock or punch him.

"You don't even know what I look like.." Kotetsu whispers

"Love is blind, Tetsu-chan" Aoba smiles softly, eyes closed.

And somehow, it's enough of an answer for Kotetsu. He chuckles softly to himself and bends down to kiss Aoba on the nose.

"Can you teach me, then? I want to be blind."

The end 


	2. How many fingers

Title : How many fingers can you see ?

Fandom : Naruto

Pairing : One-sided Aoba/Kotetsu

Aoba never says anything about looks. He never buttons his jacket quite right and never seems to notice the people waving to him in the street.

It's not that he doesn't care about all that, Kotetsu knows. It's not that he's too lazy.

Whenever standing in a crowd, Aoba always reaches for Genma or Raidou's shoulder with a shy little smile. Izumo thinks Aoba is weird… Kotetsu doesn't know what to think about the taller nin.

Aoba never takes his sunglasses off. Some say it's a fashion, other think there is something he wants to hide. And whenever Kotetsu asks, Genma says that it shouldn't matter. Izumo doesn't like them.

Kotetsu does. Even though he doesn't quite understand them.

He doesn't know why Aoba seems so cheerful when he's around. Why the dark-haired jounin's always playfully picking on him. Why he blushes every time Kotetsu pays him a visit in hospital.

And so, he asks. And when Aoba doesn't answer, he changes his tactic.

Frowning, the chunin raises his hand and waves it around in front of his elder. And when Aoba asks what he's doing, Kotetsu asks him "how many fingers" and Aoba darkens. He doesn't answer, just turns around and leaves quietly.

Next morning, Aoba's missing and Genma and Raidou are glaring at Kotetsu.


End file.
